Steam-cooker.



No. @7.151. PATBNTBD DEC. 15,` 1903.

F. A. DIXON.

STEAM GOOKBR.

APPLICATION FILED PEB.19.1903.

y d@ if A ivo. 747,151.

ilivirnn Patented December 15, 1903.

FRANK A. DIXON, F SAN JOSE, CALIFORNIA.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No.

@@KER.

747.151, sind December 15,1903.

Application Iled February 1Q, 1903. Serial No. 144.039. @"0 mdL) To a/ZZ whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, FRANK A. DIXON, a citizen ofthe United Statearesding at San Jose, county of Santa Clara, State of California, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Steam-Cookers; and l do hereby declare the followingto be a full, clear, and exact description of the same.

My invention relates tothe class of devices and apparatus for cooking-1r or processing fruit.

One object of my invention is to provides steamcooker through which the travel of the fruit may he continuons.

Another object is to provide for the proper control of the heat in the cooker.

A third object is to provide suitable ineens in connection with ya stearn-cooher for pro tecting the 'fruit from injurious direct contact with the steamv .and yet giving tosaid fruit sufficient heat to oooh it and such free exposure in its containing' vessels as vviil avoid ondue'pressnre therein hy freely driving ed the gasesprior to permanent capping, whereby the resultant fruit is clearer and hotter.

The types of cookers in use for processing irnit may he broedly divided intovtwo.

Filet, those in which water is us-ed,'which water muy be heated by steam or otherwise. in these cookers, because there is no diffiplied open-ended box, a carrier passing continuously through said box, and means for retaining the steam in scid box suciently to maintain the required temperature to cook the 55 continuously-moving' fruit passing through. the steam. i

Again, in the type of watercookers wherein the cans [nove continuously through the Water there is no way to vary the time of 6o lalole and thoroughly-distributed steam inlets and exhansts as will enable me to vary the 7o time of cooking Without altering the speed of the carrier and to suspend operations immediately in case ofa hrealrdoivn or for any other reason. Finally, it is the custom to cap the lled eens before passing them through 7 5 4 the cooker. This practice, which is required by the necessity of protecting the fruit from `the heat medium, has a double disadvantage,

izo-wit: First,'the veen is so rst that the capping tnin, and, second, the closed can induces a full ci fruit at In vietv'of these considerations, to 65 is diiiicult and uncer- 8o pressure Within it and retains genes during cooking which do not result Ain as oleer or goed e product as desired. In this regard and to secure my third object my invention 85 consists, in connection with acooker in which steam alone is used, oi' a temporary end partial csp applied to the otherwise-uncapped cans and of such a nature that While protecting' the fruit from the direct contact voi the go steam will yet avoid internal pressure and permit the escape of the gases, while supplying the necessary heat for cooking. .i

Referring to the acconcpanyiner drawings, Figure l is a perspective view, enlarged and 95 partly broken, of my steam-cooker. Fig.. 2 is a side View, on a reduced scale, of the saine. Fig. 3 is a perspective View of a modi-1'. iication of the cookerbut 'embodying the 'same principle of continuons operation. Fig. no s is a perspective view showing the applica tion of my temporary cap to a group oi cans.

culty in confining,r the Water in the vessel, the

process of cooking is continuous. An endless carrier enters the Water at one end of the cochera-ind emerges at the other end, coni veying the fruioiilled ...sns through the water.

Second, those in which steam is used to do the cooking directly. in this type, on ac count of having to confine the steam, the cooker is a closed veseel, into which batches of fruit-filled cans are introduced at intervals', closed in, and after the-cooking is complete removed. in this type, although the prior and subsequent steps of the processing may oe continuous, this advantageous operation stops at the cooker, Where the fruit must be handled in batches.

To avoid the disadvantages of those types of cookers, by securing a continuous opera- 5o tion in a' steam-cooker, which. is my first ol)- ject, my invention consists in a steam-sup Referring to Figs. l and 2, A is a box formine` the steam-chamber. This box is straight and, horizontal fo'r the greater portion of its length. Its endsa have a downward inclination and are open.

B is a slatted endless carrier of suitable construction. It starts from a suitable point and proceeds horizontally, forming the supply-platform b, thence it passes up the entrance-inclined end a of the steam-bex, along the floor thereof, and thence through said box and down and out the other end a and forms the discharge-platform b. Thence itreturns under the box to the point of beginning.

C is the steam-supply pipe, which descends outside the boxin branches C at intervals, said branches entering the box under the carrier and; eachbeing provided inside the box with perforated delivery-pipes c', set close enough together throughout the interior to perfectly distribute the steam. Each branch c exterior t0 the box is provided with a con-l trolling-cock c2.

D represents the cans, supported A,by the carrier and adapted to be progressed through the steam chamber or box A. Exhausts c? issue at intervals from the top of the box,

vand each is controlled by a cock c4.

Ein Fig. l is the temporary cap. This consists of a downwardly-flanged plate preferably made large enough to embrace a group of cans, as shown. This plate rests on top of the cans, while its flanges embrace them. The plate is provided with perforated cones e, each lying above the open top of an uncapped can. The plate has also in its top and flanges small holes e', which lie opposite the intercan spaces, and the flanges are further made with largeholes e2 to make them as open as possible.

A temporaryy cap, such as E, is placed over a group'of uncapped but filled cans on the supply end bof the carrier B, as shown in Fig. l, just before entering the cooker. It continues with the group through the cooker, asis shown in said figure in the'advanced group therein exposed through the broken box.A The efect of this cap isto prevent the direct'conta'ct of the steam with the fruit; but by reason of its' loose-fitting perforated construction it permits free enough circulation of the heat to cook the fruit, yet leaves the cans open enough to permit the escape of the gases and to avoid internaly pressure. When the cans emerge from the cooker, the cap E is simply lifted off, and the levelof the fruit has been lowered so much in cooking that their is no difliculty in then capping the cans, and the fruit itselt` is clearer and better. condensations away from the uncapped openings inthe cans, and the holes e if punched from within, so as to make their borders concave, better discharge the condensations outv'nrdly.

.o trays are yneeded `for the cans. They The inner walls of the cones e direct thefl ,enters and leaves the box.

rest on the slatted, carrier, from which they may easily be taken ofl or discharged in any manner, the temporary cap E serving to segregate them in groups.

The feature of the form ofthe cooker shown in Figs. 1 and 2 is the downwardly-inclined ends, which result in the somewhat elevated middle of the box. These ends block or trap the box sufficiently to retain the steam,which tending to rise by its own heat is further held up by atmospheric pressure at the depressed ends. Consequently a degree of heat necessary for cooking can easily be reached and maintained in the elevated major portion "lf the box, and yet the ends are open to receive the continuously entering and leaving cans.

The arrangement and distribution ot' the separately-controllable steamdischarges in the box in connection with the separatelycontrollable exhausts therefrom, it will be readily seen, previdesfor varying the time of cooking as may be required without having to vary the speed of the carrier. For example, suppose it be desired to cook the fruit only for, say, one-half the full time. The required number of steam branches c at the first portion of the box are cut off, so that no steam enters that portion, while steam still enters the last portion. The exhausts cS at the first portion of` the box are at the same time opened, While those at the lastA portion are kept closed. There will, therefore, be little, if any, steam in the first part ofthe box, but the required amount in the last part, and thus the fruit will be subjected to the cooking process only in the latter part. In like manner any portion of the box may be thrown into or out of use for cooking, as may be desired, and in all cases without having to change the speed of the carrier, and, further, the control of the. box in whole and in part, as just described, may take place at any time without having to wait for any particular batch of fruit to get through. Moreover, in case of a breakdown or from any cause which requires an immediate suspension of the operation the process can be at oncersuspended by cutting oft the steam and opening the exhausts. n

I do not confine myself as far as the principle of blocking 'the ends of the box is concerned to the form of box of Figs. 1 and 2,

` which show the inclined ends. Thus in Fig.

3 I have shown another means of edecting In this case the box vreprethe same result. sented by A. is-horizcntal throughout. The carrier B isprovided with flights or valves b2 at intervals, `which. somewhat closely, though not fully, fill the interior space of box A', the

end joints being .rendered a little closer, it

desired, by means of valve-flaps a en the box ends engaging with each flight b2 as it These flights b1 serve to block the box ends suiciently to con tine the steam and keep it at the required temperature.

Having thus described my inventiomwhat I claim asnew, and desireto secure by Letters Patent, isY

l. A steam-cooker comprising a box, means for supplying steamthereto, a traveling car-4 rier passing through said box,and adcpted to continuously conveymaterial through the steam in said box, and depending open-ended portions om said. box for retaining the steam in the box vto maintain the required temperature therein.`

`pipes entering and discharging steam mizo, said box at intervals throughout its length, means "for separatelycontrolling said steampipes' to admit or cut ol the steam from portions thereof. as desired, a traveling carrierV passing through said box, and adapted to continuously convey the material through 4zo thepsteam iu said box, and dpending'openended portions on said box for retaining theA g steamin the box io maintain-'the required temperature therein. 4

3. A steam cooker comprising abox, having downwa rc1 ly-inclined open-ended extremi' ties, meansfor supplying steam to said box,4 and a traveling carrierpassing through the box, intoand out of its inclined extremities, and adapted to continuously convey the fruit through the steam in said box.

4. A steam-cooker.comprising -a box havingdownwardly-incliued open-ended extremities, steam-pipesentering-said box at inter? valsthroughoutits length, means for sepa- '35 rately controlling said steam-pipes to admit Y or cnt 'oli the steain'fromf.pbrtiousof the box` Vas desired," and d @traveling -carrier passing through the box, intola'nd' out of itsinclined extremities aud'ad'apld to continuously con- 4@ vey'the fruitthrchgh the-'steam in said box. '5. A steam-cooker compi-isi g a 'box bavingdown wardly-inelined open-ended extremities, steam-pipes-enteriug said box atinterV ,vals throughoutI its'` lengt-h, means for sepa.-4 'rately controlling said 'steam-pipesto admit or cut o the steam from portions of the box. as desired, separately^ontrollable exhausts t from dilereut lportions. oftheibox, and a travcling carrier passing through the box, into 5o and out of it'sincliued extremities and adapt;`

-turedcoues lying over the openings in vessels, and downwardly-extending flanges and escape vof gases,

a 'temporary cap .fitted over the open vessels 55 to protect their con tents from the steam, said cap .heilig Provided with ".perorations communieixtinpr with the open tops of the vessels, and supplemental perforations adjacent the sides thereof to permit freecirculation of the 6c.` n Y y heat andthe escape of the gases, 2. Asteam-cookercomprisingabox,steam21 7. In @steam-cooker in which. .the fruit is contained and exposed in vessels to the steam, a temporary cap fitted over the bpen vessels,

said cap being provided with apertured cones 65 lying over the openings of the vessels, and perforations adjacent the sides bf the vessels= whereby the fruit is protected from the steam whilethe circulation of heat and the escape of the gases are' permitted. y 7o 8. In esteem-cooker in which the fruit is contained and exposed in vesselsto the steam, a temporary captted over the open v'esL cls, said cap consist-ing of a -platefhavingiepersaid. 75

embracing the vessels; bothplate and flanges being perioratedto permit cireulationof heat y while. protecting the fruit rbmcontact-of the steam. 8c 9. l steam-cooker comprisingabox, means for supplying steam -theretoa traveling carrier passing ythrough said1 'box, ,vessels in which the material is contained and exposedmounted on said carrier, a temporarycap' t- 85 ted over the open vessels tol protect their contnts fromthe steam, while 'permitting free p eircnlation of the heat andthe escape of the; gases, the'said carrieradapted. to continu@ ously conveyptheniaieria1 through the steam 9oA in 'said box, and depending'open-'ended' por-V tions o n saidbox ior'retainingthe steam v thereinto maintain the requiredtemperaturc. h Ii'wit'ness whereof I have hereunto set my 

